Veronica plant named ‘Pink Potion’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of hybrid ornamental spiked speedwell plant Veronica ‘Pink Potion’ with dense flower production of numerous self-cleaning pink flowers covering long, deep green foliage beginning in mid-summer and continuing until mid-fall when deadheaded. ‘Pink Potion’ is suitable for a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower arrangements.

Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Pink Potion’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of spiked speedwell, botanically known as Veronica hybrid, and hereinafter also referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pink Potion’ or “the new plant”. The new plant selected as a single seedling among a cross performed under direction of the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. of a proprietary unreleased seedling of ‘Purpleicious’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,639 known by the breeder code 08-57-03 (not patented) times Veronica ‘Rotfuchs’ (not patented) (more commonly sold in the U.S. under the name ‘Red Fox’) on Jun. 29, 2012. The new plant was grown on in trials at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. and when passed the initial evaluation in early summer of 2013 was assigned the breeder code 12-31-01. The plant has been asexually propagated by basal shoot tip cuttings in the greenhouses at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., with subsequent asexually propagated plants found to be stable and identical to the original selection with all the same traits as the original seedling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Veronica ‘Pink Potion’ is unique from all other spiked speedwell known to the inventor. Several other cultivars have blue to purple flowers, but this is the only variety known by the applicant to have the following trait combinations.

Compared to the female parent, 08-57-03, the new plant has flowers that are pink colored rather than purple and is shorter. Compared to the male parent ‘Rotfuchs’ the new plant has flowers of a pink rather than a deep fuchsia pink, is slightly taller and has more heavily-branched scapes.

The closest comparison varieties known to the inventor in flower color are Veronica ‘Tickled Pink’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,182 and Veronica ‘Sweet Lullaby’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,611. The new plant has cleaner, less mildew prone foliage than ‘Sweet Lullaby’ and slightly different flower color. Compared to ‘Tickled Pink’ the new plant is taller with slightly different pink flower color.

Table 1 below shows a more concise comparison of some of the other similar spike speedwell cultivars with height of plant including panicle and total flowers produced on single branched stem or inflorescence:

TABLE 1 VERONICA COMPARISONS Flowers RHS per flower Panicle inflo- leaf U.S. Plant Cultivar color height rescence length Pat. No. ‘Pink Bomb’ 65A-65C 55 cm 1500 9.6 cm PP24,756 ‘Verspink’ 63A-64B 32.5 cm  120 4.5 cm PP24,785 ‘Tnvera’ 69A-69B 27 cm   70 3.5 cm PP26,416 ‘Candied 64B-64C 51.3 cm  360 9.7 cm PP27,084 Candle’ ‘Allchoice’ 65A-65B 40.5 cm  250 5.6 cm PP27,257 ‘Atomic 62C-65B 54.5 cm 1400 8.1 cm PP23,938 Silvery Pink Ray’ ‘Sweet 62D-65D 28 cm  260 5.5 cm PP23,611 LulLaby’ ‘Pink Eveline’ 64A-64C 38.5 cm  100 4.0 cm PP18,743 ‘Pink Panther’ 73A-73B 56 cm  400 8.6 cm PP16,311 ‘Tickled Pink’ 68B 13.5 cm  140 13 cm PP16,182 ‘Pink Potion’ 68C 47 cm 2500 7.0 cm applica- tion

The following are traits of Veronica ‘Pink Potion’ that in combination distinguish it from all other spiked speedwell known to the inventor:

-   -   1. Tall, well-branched scapes producing nearly continuous heavy         flower show that covers the top of the plant.     -   2. Numerous self-cleaning flowers of pink petals beginning in         mid-summer.     -   3. Lanceolate to oblanceolate foliage of deep green.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance and unique traits of ‘Pink Potion’ as a two-year old plant grown in a full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer provided as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the scape with buds and flowers.

FIG. 2 shows the plant in the landscape in mid-summer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references of ‘Pink Potion’ are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Veronica ‘Pink Potion’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on two-year old plants in the full-sun trial garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid; -   Parentage: Female (seed parent) proprietary unreleased breeding     plant known only as 08-57-03; male (pollen parent) ‘Rotfuchs’; -   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, compact, with several     stems, average about 47.0 cm tall in flower and about 88.0 cm wide;     flowering beginning early July in Michigan and continuing for about     5 weeks with repeat if deadheaded through early fall; -   Leaves: Simple, flat, lanceolate to oblanceolate, opposite,     serrulate, acute apex, attenuate base; adaxial surface puberuleut,     abaxial glabrous; to about 7.0 cm long by about 2.8 cm wide     decreasing in both length and width distally; -   Leaf color: Adaxial between RHS 137A and RHS 139A; abaxial nearest     RHS 138A; -   Veins: Pinnate; adaxial and abaxial midrib puberulent; -   Vein color: Adaxial midrib nearest RHS 146D; abaxial midrib nearest     RHS 145A; adaxial and abaxial secondary veins indistinguishable from     surrounding leaf; -   Petiole: Simple, slightly concavo-convex; adaxial puberulent,     abaxial glabrous; about 2.5 cm long and about 3.0 mm wide; -   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 144A; abaxial nearest RHS 144A; -   Stem: About 30 per plant; terete; about 24.0 cm tall to top of     foliage, and 47.0 cm tall to top of panicle; about 3.0 mm diameter     at base; puberulent to glandular; color as expanding nearest RHS     146D and in maturity nearest RHS 146B developing undertone of     nearest RHS N186B when exposed to high ultraviolet light; -   Flower buds one day prior to opening: Convolute, narrowly ovoid,     obtuse apex; about 5.5 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter; -   Bud color: Nearest RHS 67C one to two days prior to opening; buds     one week prior to opening between RHS 69B and RHS 69C proximally and     nearest RHS 67D toward apex; -   Flowers: Perfect, zygomorphic, campanulate; on heavily branched     upright to spikes; numerous, congested, about 14 flowers per     centimeter; approximately 580 per main spike and about 2500 to 3000     flowers per branched panicle; about 4.5 mm across, about 5.0 mm tall     and about 6.0 mm deep; no detectible fragrance; flowers persist     individually for 4 to 6 days whether on the plant or as cut flower;     self-cleaning; outwardly and slightly upwardly; -   Petals: Four; margins entire; apices acute; corolla tube fused in     basal about 2.0 mm; upper petal about 6.0 mm long and about 4.5 mm     across; lower petal about 6.0 mm long and about 2.5 mm across; two     side petals about 6.0 mm long and about 3.5 mm across; glabrous     outer and inner surfaces except pilosulose in basal adaxial 2.0 mm     long fused tube with hair white, lighter than RHS 155D; -   Petal color: Adaxial and abaxial surfaces nearest RHS 68C with basal     2.0 mm nearest RHS N155B of both adaxial and abaxial surfaces; prior     to dehiscing distal 4.0 mm of adaxial and abaxial surfaces lighten     to between RHS 68C and RHS 68D; -   Androecium: Stamens two, exserted;     -   -   Filaments.—Two, base fused to proximal adaxial petal; about             6.5 mm by 0.3 mm; color between RHS 67C and RHS 67D.         -   Anther.—Oblong; dorsifixed, longitudinal, versatile; acute             apex; about 2.2 mm by about 1.0 mm; color nearest RHS 71A.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, globose, less than 0.1 mm; color between             RHS 11B and RHS 11C. -   Gynoecium: Single; simple;     -   -   Style.—Single; straight, extending outward, perpendicular to             flower face; persists after petals drop; about 5.0 mm long             by about 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 72B.         -   Stigma.—Semi-spherical with rounded apex; about 0.8 mm in             diameter; color nearest RHS N187D.         -   Ovary.—Spherical; about 0.7 mm in diameter; nearest RHS             N144D. -   Sepals; Four; entire, surface dull, ovate to narrowly ovate, acute     apex, base fused forming corolla; abaxial sparsely pubescent with     minute glandular hairs, adaxial glabrous; upper pair about 3.0 mm     long and about 0.5 mm wide, lower pair about 4.0 mm long by about     0.5 mm wide; color abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 137A; -   Peduncle: About 30 per plant; heavily-branched panicle, strong,     erect, terete; glandular to puberulent; about 40.0 cm long and about     3.0 mm in diameter at the base; two to four primary branches to     about 35.0 cm long and 2.4 mm diameter with each primary branch     typically with two secondary branches about 30 cm long and 2.0 mm     diameter; -   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 146B; -   Pedicel: Upright to outwardly; stiff, terete; puberulent about 0.5     mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; -   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138B; -   Bract: Single subtending each flower, linear, narrowly acute apex,     entire, sessile, based fused to peduncle, proximal bracts about 1.0     cm long and about 2.0 mm wide and decreasing distally to about 3.0     mm long and less than about 0.5 mm wide; -   Bract color: RHS 137A above and RHS 137C below; -   Fruit: Emarginate, globose, two bi-valued loculicidal capsule; about     3.0 mm long and about 3.0 mm diameter; color on maturity between RHS     N199A and RHS 199A; -   Seed: Slightly flattened ellipsoid, about 0.8 mm long, 0.5 mm across     and 0.2 mm thick; color between RHS 165A and RHS 166A; -   Propagation: Stem and tip cuttings root in about 2 weeks and finish     to flowering in a 3.8 liter container in 8 to 10 weeks following a     vernalization period of about 8 weeks; -   Hardiness, pest and disease resistance: The plant grows best with     adequate moisture and drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought     when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 8. Disease     and pest resistance beyond what is typical of that common to other     spiked speedwell has not been observed. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental spiked speedwell plant, Veronica ‘Pink Potion’, as herein described and illustrated. 